Fisheries Act measures we can all agree upon

From the Charlottetown Guardian:

It’s not often fishermen, environmentalists and processors sing from the same industry song sheet, but the early chorus seems supportive of amendments to the Fisheries Act tabled in the House of Commons.

Federal Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc is the toast of the town — quite a change from just a few weeks ago when inshore fishermen and processors were preparing for the worst. It was LeBlanc who’d fuelled fears that pending amendments might have a dramatic, negative affect on inshore fishermen. In a speech last summer, he suggested that far-reaching changes to licensing rules were being considered, and questioned policies that offer “near-indefinite access to the fishery by virtue of automatic (licence) renewal. ”But wide-ranging amendments to the act effectively address concerns about environment, habitat, stocks and licences — and seem to have found the right balance.

Moves by the former Harper government to ease protections for stocks and habitat have been repealed. And Ottawa is providing almost $300 million to restore those protections, and adding new ones, including more fisheries officers, which addresses fishermen’s concerns that fewer inspectors and weaker enforcement posed a threat to the industry’s future.In addition to the economic value of the industry, Ottawa is recognizing that fishing is culturally and socially important to Canada’s coastal communities. Without a strong and vibrant inshore fishery, their future is at risk. .